Aim for the stars

A few weeks before the Philippine delegation left for Rio, I was invited by Philippine Olympians Association chairman Rafael Hechanova to speak in a send-off program attended by Olympic veterans including medalists Onyok and Roel Velasco of boxing, Toni Leviste of equestrian, Roberto Cruz of taekwondo, Norberto Oconer of cycling, Akiko Thomson of swimming, Benjamin McMurray of judo, Rene Herrera of distance running, Brian Rosario of shooting and Rachel Anne Cabral of archery at the Manila Golf Club in Makati.

These were the main thoughts I shared.

• Aim for the stars. Don’t sell yourself short. Don’t compete just for the sake of competing. Respect the competition but don’t give up without trying to win the gold.

• Focus and discipline. Listen to your coaches and stay disciplined. Stand united with the other Filipino athletes. After your event, support your fellow athletes by attending their competitions and cheering for them. This is not a vacation. Wherever you are, you are judged as a Filipino. The flag on your shirt is your badge of honor.

• Enjoy the moment. Make friends and learn from others. You are your country’s ambassadors of goodwill in the world’s greatest sports spectacle. Be proud to be Pinoy. Bring back memories to share with loved ones. For nine of 13 Filipino athletes in Rio, this is their first Olympic experience of a lifetime.

• No excuses, no alibis, no what-ifs. Be humble in victory and gracious in defeat. In sports, there are winners, there are losers. You can’t win them all. What’s important is that you give it your all, nothing less. Whatever happens, accept your fate and be accountable.

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• Many are called but few are chosen. There were 20 Filipino athletes at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Then, the delegation dwindled to 16 in 2004 to 15 in 2008 and to 11 in 2012. This year, it went up to 13 and could’ve been 15 if only golfers Angelo Que and Dottie Ardina didn’t back out. Miguel Tabuena and Ian Lariba, both 21 and born on the same day, are the youngest Filipino athletes in Rio and Marestella Torres the oldest at 35. They all answered the call to represent the country. The SBP spent millions in a bid to qualify Gilas for Rio but the effort was worth it because the journey galvanized the country. Shame on those who were called and turned their backs.

• Forever an Olympian. Nobody can take the tag away from you. Once an Olympian, always an Olympian. You’re now in the history books with the Philippine sporting greats. You walk with giants. Stand proud to be an Olympian and represent your country with honor.

• Perform with pride. You worked hard to be in Rio, you deserve to be in the Olympics. You earned the right to wear the national colors. In the field of competition, you prove that you belong in Rio and perform with pride, distinction and honor.

In a parting note, I elaborated on the last point about performing with pride and I said pride was an acronym that stood for five things. P is play your best like it’s your last competition. R is respect the game, authority and your opponents. I is interact with athletes from other countries, learn from them, establish lines of communication and develop a social network because you are now part of the Olympic family. D is for dedication and discipline, values that every Olympian upholds. E is elevate yourself as this is the world stage where you stamp your class and declare your identity as a proud Filipino Olympian.

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Every Olympian has a story to tell and Janet Evans, an American who competed in swimming at the 1988, 1992 and 1996 Games, shared hers. When she was 12, Evans was brought by her parents to witness the opening ceremonies of the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.  That was when she decided to devote herself to the goal of qualifying for the Olympics someday.

In 1988, Evans captured the gold in the 400-meter, 800-meter and 1,500-meter freestyle. In 1992, she repeated as gold medalist in the 800-meter event. In 1996, Evans qualified for her third Olympics and was designated to carry the Olympic torch at the opening ceremonies in Atlanta. Evans initially declined the honor because she was scheduled to swim the day after and didn’t want to be distracted. But Billy Payne, chief organizer of the Games, convinced her to accept.

An observer, who listened to Evans speak about her Olympic experience, said: “She recalls running with the torch and looking into the crowd of athletes. This was her third Olympics and she said it was the first time she really saw the other athletes. She realized that the Olympics were about the athletes. The majority of athletes would not win a medal but they were there to try their hardest and each one would give their best. Right then, Evans decided that as long as she gave her best, that’s all anyone could ask for. It wasn’t at all about winning.

“As she handed the torch to 1960 Olympic champion Muhammad Ali, he told her that this was his greatest Olympic moment. As she left the stadium, she grabbed a stranger and cried into his arms for five minutes. She had never cried after winning an Olympic medal but realizing what the Olympics really meant to her brought tears to her eyes. Evans placed sixth and eighth in her final Olympics but walked away content knowing she had given her best and that’s what the Games are all about. To Janet Evans, that’s what it means to be an Olympian.”

At the age of 40, Evans tried to qualify for the 2012 Olympics but failed.  She was 80th of 113 in the 400-meter freestyle and 53rd of 65 in the 800-meter freestyle trials. Evans ended her swimming career that year, realizing the journey meant a lot more than the winning.